SIERRA de LOJA.

Sunday, 6 September 2009

Embalse del Cubillas, Granada Province.

Raptors and Waders.

After dropping Jayne and her two sisters off at the market on the outskirts of Granada, I spent a couple of hours birding at the large reservoir at Cubillas. In the main shallow bay at the North East end of the water, there was a large area of exposed shoreline. Several Grey Herons (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) and a single Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egretta garzetta) were all feeding along the waters edge, along with 50+ Little Ringed Plovers (Chorlitejo Chico / Charadrius dubius), 20+ Common Sandpipers (Andarrios Chico / Actitis hypoleucos) and 5 Green Sandpipers (Andarrios Grande / Tringa ochropus). On the wider area of shore in the bay 100+ Honey Buzzards (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus) and 10+ Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans) were sitting in the Tamarisks or on the ground waiting for the thermals to start and over the next hour and a half they all made there way up and off to the West. In the Pine woods along the banks of the reservoir Cetti's (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti) and Sardinian Warblers (Curruca Cabecinegra / Sylvia melanocephala) were seen, along with Great (Carbonero Común / Parus major), Blue (Herrerillo Común / Parus caeruleus), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and Long-tailed Tits (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus). Common Magpie, Jackdaw and Raven all passed over the area, with Barn (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica), and Red-rumped Swallow (Golondrina Dáurica / Hirundo daurica), House (Avión Común / Delichon urbica) and Sand Martins (Avión Zapador / Riparia riparia) low over the water. Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Common Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinula Chloropus) and 5 Black-necked Grebes (Zampullín Cuellinegro / Podiceps nigricollis) were out on the water. Thousands of largish Carp of some species were also seen spawning in the very shallow water all the way along the eastern side of the reservoir.Photographs from the top: Embalse del Cubillas, Honey Buzzard (Aberjero Europeo / Pernis apivorus), Spawning Carp and Pine woods along side the Reseroir.